We dont just BBQ
We strive to light a different fire and have our globally inspired smoke infused goodness offer you a glimpse into the BBQ unknown. Why? Because a change of flavor rages the appetite for more!
As true pyro culinary adventurers we travel the globe in search of new fires, unheard of ingredients and never seen before techniques.
At Smokey Goodness we dig deeper into the bag of coal, ask the unaskable questions and let our curiosity rage like a wildfire. Why? So, we can gather, collect enrich and share our findings to achieve our ultimate goal of inspiring you to BBQ better. Ever since the start in 2010 Jord Althuizen and his crew of fire and smoke loving pitmasters and BBQ aficionados have always had one mission: to showcase the limitless possibilities and art of cooking with real fire. We’re talking about BBQ and thus we are getting excited and immediately start rambling like a wild canon. Let’s slow down, take a step back and start with how it all got started. Giving you the full story of the man behind the meat and how Smokey Goodness came to be.
Humble beginnings
From a young age Jord has been attracted to good food. You could take him for dinner in any restaurant and even before being able to read the menu he would pick the best (and often the most expensive) item on offer. It came as no surprise to his family and friends that Jord chose a career in the hospitality industry. From as young as 15 years old you could find him behind the stove in Dutch restaurants. Working his culinary way up from making simple fair for the masses to fine dining for a select crowd. To give his ambitions a boost in the right direction he underwent the selection process of the International Hotelmanagent School in The Hague, got selected and pretended to actually study for a few years. As part of his training Jord had to undertake an international internship and managed to pass the though selection process once again obtaining a position at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Forida. Here he found his way into the kitchen, this time at the prestigious Contemporary Resort. For six months Jord digd himself ears deep into all the what’s and how’s of running a large restaurant receiving and serving 1.600 guests food cooked from scratch. But it was not Mickey Mouse or the cooking that turned out to be the moment of serendipity that led to the rise of Smokey Goodness. No, it was, brace yourself, love… Because during his internship the educational aspect of learning had to be enriched with feasting and so Jord stumbled upon the beautiful young woman named Tiffany at a party. An Ohio born and raised all American girl that has now become his wife for many years and mother to his two daughters.
“But it was not Mickey Mouse or the cooking that turned out to be the moment of serendipity that led to the rise of Smokey Goondness. No, it was, brace yourself, love…”
A fiery revelation
Flash forward a few years to 2009 to a family visit in Frisco Colorado, where Jord and Tiffany met up with her brother Ryan for some outdoor activities in the rugged nature. After a good session of white-water rafting Ryan asked if they wanted to swing by a local BBQ festival in Frisco, a small village high up in the mountains. Hungry as they had gotten from their sportif efforts they said yes and so a fiery revelation was about to erupt. Never had Jord seen such a fire infused meaty festival. Frisco’s main street was lined on both sides with wood fire fueled steel monstrosities loaded with big cuts of meat and manned by groups of men slinging as much beer as their hands could hold. For the first time did Jord lay his eyes on what is called a ‘smoker’ and did he taste succulent ribs that were not grilled nor cooked but smoked for many hours. Here he’d loose his true BBQ virginity by sinking his teeth in 16 hour smoked brisket and by discovering the divine dish called pulled pork. It was nothing less than a fiery food frenzy that took place here leaving a big impression on Jord. So big that upon his return to the Netherlands he swore that he wanted to share the BBQ reform he underwent with his fellow Dutchies.
Growing a smoke infused empire
And so, in a rainy September Jord together with Derk and Freek (colleagues from his daily job then) found himself on a field amidst one of the first food truck festivals in the Netherlands called ‘De Rollende Keukens’ (rolling kitchens). Despite the fact that the weather sucked, the crowds where small and the financial success of their first low and slow cooked BBQ endeavor was just as small, they had discovered one important thing: The Dutch people liked the smoke flavor in their meaty snacks. This gave Jord and his co-conspirators the energy to continue. In the few years that followed Smokey Goodness built on from that initial success and became a BBQ name to reckon with. Where they started small with private functions and weddings their fiery offerings spread like smoldering wildfire. The events got bigger and bigger up to where Smokey Goodness catered at the biggest music festivals in the Netherlands and Belgium and corporate events where 4.000 servings of BBQ food needed to be handed out in 40 minutes. Along the way Derk and Freek said goodbye to Smokey Goodness, each following their own different Hospitality dreams. Jord continued solo carrying the torch to spread the flame further and beyond. To cope with the ever-growing demand for their quality BBQ made from sustainably raised products Jord and his expanding crew needed to expand their smoker armory significantly. Smokers bigger then seen in Frisco loaded with flame throwers, BBQ’s with 15 rotating spits, churches of protein functioning as mobile venues and vintage semi-trucks turned to food trucks became their fire fueled tools on locations. Mancaves and a BBQ Walhalla arose as places of protein rich worship for their fiery believers. Spreading the Smokey Goodness gospel of using better BBQ equipment and ingredients to improve results.
From cooking to inspiring
In the more than ten years Smokey Goodness now exists the once so small and humble BBQ catering initiative has grown into an international company still holding on to their initial goal: inspiring you to BBQ better. Where we once only tried to spark the Dutch interest for better BBQ food by cooking for them we have, over the years, intensified and diversified our initiatives to meet our inspiring goal. By writing books – based on collected new ingredients, ancient recipes and local techniques from fiery friends around the globe – Smokey Goodness wants to lead the way to a tastier more surprising BBQ in your backyard. By honing your skills through showing those interested on how it’s done right with hands on training and workshop from the well-equipped BBQ school nicknamed the BBQ Walhalla (because every BBQ lover wants to end up there). By producing and selling the best BBQ equipment, tools and necessities a BBQ lover can get their hands on via their showroom and online BBQ shop so you can work with nothing but the best. And by using todays technologies to capture and share our BBQ way of live via this website and all our social media channels. Connecting the global BBQ family, expanding our fire & fun-loving fans and sharing our gained insights and inspiration.
So, now you know. How falling in love can lead to a fiery international BBQ empire that still believes in spreading the love for food cooked right and shared with those that matter. All that remains is one question that has been smoldering with increasing heat: ‘why the hell are you still on this page?!’. Get your fires lit and start cooking!
Spice things up
Add even more flavor to your BBQ
Slather, dip, poor and chug, when it comes to BBQ sauce you should never be stingy. Check out our Smokey Goodness liquid love in a bottle and boost your BBQ.
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It’s the skills
that make
your BBQ
"A true BBQ master is an eternal Pit Bitch" - Jord Althuizen
So don't brag about how good you are, focus on how much better you want to become! Keep improving by listening, learning and trying. Better BBQ comes to you when you walked the mile, tried, tested and perfected your skills and techniques. Sharpened all your senses to see and smell the smoke, hear the sizzle and feel the heat. But before you begin lighting your fires, you better burn some books or blogs for a healthy dosis of BBQ fundamentals. So let's dig in, it is time to study the good stuff.